By Craig Ellenport, NFLHS.com
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Dr. Bob Murray of the Gatorade
Sports Science Institute |
The heat index in Canton, Ohio, for Saturday's Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremonies was well over 100 degrees, and the 17,700 fans who packed Fawcett Stadium were well advised to be careful in the hot sun. Fortunately for the group of high school coaches who were there as part of the NFL's Youth Summit, they were well educated on the subject.
Two days earlier, they were lectured on defeating the heat by Dr. Bob Murray of the Gatorade Sports Science Institute in Barrington, Ill. Of course, this lecture was not meant to prepare them for the heat of Saturday's ceremony; it was to educate them on what to look for and how to treat heat-related problems with their football players during the dog days of summer training camps. Not coincidentally, this lecture took place on August 1, 2003, the one-year anniversary of the death of Minnesota Vikings tackle Korey Stringer due to complications from heat stroke.
"It's omnipresent," said Dr. Murray. "Heat is your competitor."
There are two levels of heat-related problems: heat exhaustion, which is not terribly dangerous and easy to treat, and heat stroke, which clearly can be life-threatening. "The most important thing to consider in watching for these problems," said Dr. Murray, "is to always think heat first. It's easy to see a player take a knee during practice and think he's just tired or perhaps out of shape. Don't make that assumption.
"Always err on the side of caution with heat-related incidents," he continued, "because it's better than the alternative."
Some key points Dr. Murray made in his presentation include:
When the temperature is 80 degrees and the relative humidity is 50 percent, that's enough to be considered dangerous. And that's for people dressed in shorts and t-shirts. So when you're dealing with players in pads and helmets, it doesn't take much heat to be dangerous.
Heat-related problems, both minor and severe, have everything to do with hydration. Water and sports drinks are essential. A player should drink 20 ounces of water about an hour or two before a practice or game and then continue to drink throughout the practice. "Let them know they can drink any time they want," said Dr. Murray, "and not just during prescribed breaks."
The first three days of training camp at any level of play are the most critical. According to Dr. Murray, all heat-related deaths in football camps have occurred in the first three days. That's because players must get acclimated to the heat. Two ways to get acclimated: sweat for at least an hour each day and spend time outside (away from air conditioning). O"nce acclimated to the heat," said Dr. Murray, "you'll sweat in places you didn't know you could sweat and that's good. Bigger sweaters mean cooler [body] temps."
However, the bonus of greater sweat is negated if you don't keep hydrated. "It's your responsibility," Dr. Murray told the coaches, "to keep an eye on the players on your team who sweat more."
Know what to look for. Some of the signs that a player might be feeling effects of the heat include: irritability, confusion, belligerence, hyperventilation, refusal to drink, and staggering. It's also important to know how you yourself might feel in this instance. Some of the symptoms include: headache, dizziness, unusual fatigue, heat flush, chills, and tingling fingers. It seems odd that feeling a chill could be a symptom of heat problems, but it's a sign that blood flow is slowing down, which leads to a quick rise in body temperature.Safety is first and foremost when dealing with high school athletes in the summer heat. But Dr. Murray also pointed out the added benefit of keeping players cool and hydrated: better performance.
"Muscular power, overall endurance, and mental capacity: all of these things go down with just a minimal loss of fluids," stated Dr. Murray. Hydrated players are better players. There's no doubt about it.
Dr. Bob Murray is an exercise physiologist who specializes in sports nutrition, with an emphasis on the physiological and performance effects of fluid and carbohydrate intake during exercise. As director of the Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI), Dr. Murray oversees scientific research in a variety of areas in exercise science and sports nutrition including fluid balance during and after exercise; the effects of fluid, carbohydrate, and electrolyte ingestion during exercise; and the gastric emptying and intestinal absorption of fluid and solute. He also oversees GSSI education programs and activities, including the GSSI website (www.gssiweb.com) and Sports Science Exchange publications.
For more information on Dr. Murray and the Gatorade Sports Science Institute, visit his biography at www.gssi.com.
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